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Landscape Study of Alternate Light Sources Released

The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence released in January 2018 "A Landscape Study of Alternate Light Sources." The goal of the report is to provide the reader with a basic understanding of alternate light sources (ALS), as well as their use, benefits, and limitations.

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The 40+ page document was developed through interviews with more than 20 stakeholders (both users and vendors), but explicitly details the experiences of six different agencies using ALS devices: Snohomish County (Washington) Sheriff's Office, Idaho State Police, Arizona Department of Public Safety, NML Labs (Pennsylvania), North Carolina State Crime Laboratory, and Horry County (South Carolina) Police Department.

Included is a basic introduction to alternate light sources; an overview of available products and vendors; considerations for selecting an ALS device; ALS applications; and specific case studies from the various end users.

One of the more specialized areas of crime-scene investigation has to do with searching for evidence of arson. To get some background in this area, we spoke with an individual who has had more than 46 years in fire service, 24 of which have focused specifically on fire/arson investigation.